The Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, Illinois, has been one of the nation's top 100 <a href="http://inhabitat.com/rafael-vinolys-new-stanford-hospital-design-features-modular-daylight-filled-cubes/" target="_blank">hospitals</a> for the last four years, and with its colorful new green roof, it may now also be one of the most beautiful. In keeping with its illustrious reputation, the medical center has added a living roof to its East Tower that will both insulate the building and brighten it up. The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/influx_studios-spiral-garden-museum-features-a-cork-screw-green-roof-for-taipei/" target="_blank">Vegetative Living Green Roof System</a> furthers the hospital’s dedication to environmental stewardship, while adding a lush view for patients and employees alike.

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Ambius Riverside Medical Green roof

Designed by landscaping company Ambius, the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/henning-larsens-viborg-town-hall-boasts-a-sloped-plane-of-gradated-greenery/" target="_blank">green roof </a>crowns the new East Tower addition, which houses 160,000 square feet of new operating, delivery, ICU, and private patient rooms. The facilities in the new addition are state of the art, making the hospital one of the premier birthing centers in the area.

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Ambius Riverside Medical Green roof

The East Tower addition itself was built with eco-consciousness in mind. The walls were painting with low VOC paint. The flooring is made from a mix of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/art-collectors-flat-renovated-with-reclaimed-wood-from-the-rotterdam-rijksmuseum/" target="_blank">recycled content</a>, and renewable resources.

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Ambius Riverside Medical Green roof

Super efficient low E glass and heat resistant roofing was used in construction. The rooms were fitted with occupancy sensors for reduced energy consumption, and Energy Star rated appliances were purchased for use.

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Ambius Riverside Medical Green roof

The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/hwkns-artscape-is-a-green-roofed-museum-that-emerges-from-the-ground-for-taipei/" target="_blank">living roof</a> features an array of multi-colored plant life that will grow year round. The rooftop garden will help insulate the building below, provided a reduction in heating and cooling costs of 20%, as well as help purify the surrounding air and cut down on carbon dioxide. <a href="http://inhabitat.com/striking-ur22-house-uses-half-as-much-energy-as-a-standard-home-in-texas/" target="_blank">Rainwater is filtered</a> and absorbed through the roof, reducing storm overflow that reaches the city’s sewers.

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Ambius Riverside Medical Green roof

<a rel="attachment wp-att-293253" href="http://inhabitat.com/riverside-medical-center-gets-a-gorgeous-new-green-roofed-addition/ambius-riverside-medical-green-roof/"></a>
Designed by landscaping company Ambius, the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/henning-larsens-viborg-town-hall-boasts-a-sloped-plane-of-gradated-greenery/" target="_blank">green roof </a>crowns the new East Tower addition, which houses 160,000 square feet of new operating, delivery, ICU, and private patient rooms. The facilities in the new addition are state of the art, making the hospital one of the premier birthing centers in the area. The East Tower addition itself was built with eco-consciousness in mind....<br><br><a href='http://inhabitat.com/riverside-medical-center-gets-a-gorgeous-new-green-roofed-addition/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

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Ambius Riverside Medical Green roof

Denise Eichmann of Ambius also hopes that the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/mexicos-subterranean-childrens-museum-is-an-interactive-and-educational-immersion/" target="_blank">green roof</a> will inspire patients and employees in the hospital. Aside from being a relaxing visual (as opposed to a barren industrial roof), the green roof is a blatant symbol of environmentalism. One of Ambius’s goals is to encourage people to think about environmental issues and sustainability, which they address with their <a href="http://inhabitat.com/canal-city-an-eye-popping-japanese-mall-filled-with-hanging-gardens-and-cooling-pools/" target="_blank">green roofs</a>.

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Ambius Riverside Medical Green roof

The Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, Illinois, has been one of the nation's top 100 hospitals for the last four years, and with its colorful new green roof, it may now also be one of the most beautiful. In keeping with its illustrious reputation, the medical center has added a living roof to its East Tower that will both insulate the building and brighten it up. The Vegetative Living Green Roof System furthers the hospital’s dedication to environmental stewardship, while adding a lush view for patients and employees alike.